Operating mechanism for the commutators of automobile engines



Feb. ,19 1924." 1,483,870

H. G. CRITTENDEN OPERATING MECHANISM FOR THE COMMUTATORS OF AUTOMOBILE ENGINES Filed July 28 '1921 INVE N TO R Hormc E George crl fi'enden awk his 7 70 R N EV.

Patented Feb. lid, W24.

insane Hoancn enoncrn cnrrrnnnnn, or .rosnin', sou rnnusrnnme, AUSTRALIA.

OPERATING MECHANISIVI FOR THE COMMUTATORS' OF AUTODIOBILE ENGTNESi Application filed July 28, 1921. Serial No. 488,255.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Homes GEORGE CRIT- TENDEN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Joslin, in the State of South Australia, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Mechanism for the Commutators of Automobile Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improved operating mechanism for the commutator of automobile engines, and particularly of those automobile engines in which the commutator is ordinarily supported in a position where oil from the surrounding parts may interfere with its working or reduce its efficiency.

The object of this invention is to provide means wherebyv a commutator can be mounted and operated conveniently in a position which will be readily accessible and at the same time less liable to be influenced by waste oil than is the case with appliances at present usually employed.

.Another important object of my invention is to enable the necessary elements which I have invented to be fitted on to the existing engine without requiring any serious alteration to the structure.

My invention is particularly applicable to a type of engine which is generally known I as a Ford type of motor.

In this type of engine a driven toothed wheel is mounted'on the cam shaft and is surrounded and protected'by a metal casting. For the purpose of my invention I cut a holeor opening in the outer side or top of this protective casting adjacent to the periphery of the toothed wheel, such opening being of sufiicient size to enable the teeth of a similar additional wheel to be admitted and to mesh with the teeth of the wheel first above referred to.

The additional wheel is supported on a spindle which has hearings on a supplemental casing which is rigidly attached by suitable means to the existing casting and also to the bed of the engine. The spindle of the toothed wheel operates a timerthe casing of which is likewise adjustably supported on the supplemental casing.

My invention is also applicable to engines wherein the Wheel of the self starting device is geared into the cam shaft wheel. In such an arrangement my supplemental casing 15 similarly mounted onto the extended casting which carries the self starter wheel, such extherein so as to constitute a bearing spindle h of a driven toothed wheel j of tended casting being cut orconstructed with an opening to allow the wheels of the added part to gear into and mesh with the wheels of the sel fstartersubstantially in the manner described with regard to the previous example.

But in order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now describe the same by aid of the accompanying illustrativedrawings wherein f r Fig. 1 isan end view of my invention as applied to theFord type of engine showing the ordinary casting surrounding the cam shaft and my casing attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the adjacent casings illustrating gearing contained therein. a

Fig. 3 is a sectional side view of Fig. 1 showing an ordinary distributor of known type attached to the spindle of the driven wheel contained in the supplemental casing.

Fig. 4B is a plan of Fig. 3 showing means for attaching the supplemental casing to the existing casting.

Fig. 5 is a modification ofthe preceding.

figures showing the application of my supplemental casing when the position otherwise used is occupied by the intermediate mechanism of self starting gear.

In each of the illustrations similarlletters of reference areused to denote similar or corresponding parts wherever they occur.

In thedrawings a is a portion of the cylinder block showing the. position of the cam shaft 6 within the existing casting cupon which an ordinary driven toothed wheel d is mounted as at present in use.

In a convenient positionin the existing.

casting and adjacent to the outer periphery of the toothed wheel d I out a hole or opening e of suiiicient width to allowasimilar toothed wheel to mesh with the teeth of the 1 existing wheel 'andl supply a supplemental casing 7 having a supporting boss 9 cast for the similar diameter and equal'number of teeth to the wheeld as illustrated. The construction of the bearing for the spindle may be modified in such. a manner as may be desir able. On the side of my supplemental casingwhich isadjacent to the cylinder block I form an extended drum is which serves as a support for the timer casing Z, the distributor chamber being indicated at m having a receiving terminal a and four distributing terminals 0 arranged thereon, the central terminal being provided for the accommodation of the receiving wire in the magneto and the distributing terminals being used for the attachment of the wires which convey the electric current for sparking purposes to the four cylinders of the engine. The spindle it passes into or is otherwise connected with a rotating contact arm or other device of known structure contained in the distributor m which rotates in, unison with the spindle h. The timer casing is capable of a slight rotation for timing or adjustment purposes, and when set in the correct position is retainedrby any convenient means such for instanceas the slot and screw device shown at p and q. For the purpose of more firmly securing my supplemental casing in position I form the base portion f thereof to a radius corresponding with the external radius of the existing casting 0 and I construct a lug P which overlaps the outer portion of the existing casting and abuts upon a corresponding lug 0 on the existing casting the said lugs being securely drawn together and held by a bolt and nut or other fastening device such as F. As an additional means for fixing the supplemental casing I construct a lug near the base of the casing which rests upon'the cylinder head and is secured thereto by an existin bolt a. This arrangement whenproperly tted holds the supplemental casing to the casting and enables the driven toothed Wheel to mesh with the wheel 03 when the former is mounted upon its spindle. A short lug r is provided upon thetimer casing Z to render the latter capable of adjustment for-advancement or retardation of the "sparking mechanismby aid of any suitable connecting lever;

Anynengines in which the self starting gear is provided and occupies theposition which I'desire to use for my'd'istributing mechanism as above described I extend my' supplemental casing beyond the casting which is used for the accommodation of the self starting gear. Such arrangement is shownin Fig. 5 where the frame of the self starting mechanism is indicated ate and its toothed wheel t is indicated by the dotted line encased in an extension 0 of the existing casting. In this arrangement and for the purposes of my invention I likewise cut an opening in the extension 0 adjacent to the periphery of the teeth of a self starter and I mount my supplemental casing thereon-by any convenient means such for instance as the bolts or studs u, the supplemental casing in this instance as in the previous case having its base or contact portion constructed in such a manner that it sits firmly upon the extension of the original casting and can thus be held with sufficient rigidity to support the spindle of my toothed wheel 7' in its proper bearings, said toothed wheel being of similar diameter and corresponding in its number of teeth with the toothed Wheel 61, the toothed wheel t of the self starter in this instance merely acting as an intermediate bridge wheel which gives rotation as desired, but as under this arrangement the rotation of the wheel will be in the reverse direction to that of the previous figures, the wires from the distributor will require to be correspondingly reversely adjusted. A low tension wire is provided at o.

What I claim is In operating mechanism for the commutator of an automobile engine, the combination with a self starting device having a toothed wheel in mesh with a toothed wheel on the cam shaft and an opening out in the extended portion of a casting which is adapted to enclose the Wheel and the said self starting arrangement, of a supplemental casing mounted on the said casting so as to embrace the walls of the said opening in the casting, a spindle rotatably journa'led at one end in said supplemental casing and having its opposite end projecting througha flanged opening in the casing, a toothed wheel carried by the spindle and disposed in said cas. ing and adapted to mesh with the first named toothed wheel of the starting device, and a timer casing having an" openend adapted to embrace the flange inscribing the open-- ing in the supplemental casing, the said spindle being adapted to project into the timer casing to rotate the mechanism en-' closed therein.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature. HORACE GEORGE CRITTENDEN;

Witness:

J OHN HERBERT Oooxn; 

